Method and device for compressing square bales for stalk material

ABSTRACT

In a method and a device for compressing square large bales for stalk material on large baling presses by using twines that engage across longitudinal sides and end faces of bales and are tied together, wherein compressed large bales can be formed by a number of adjacently positioned, individually compressed and tied small bales, a first tying unit and a second tying unit at a pressing channel of a large baling press are provided, wherein the first and second tying units have knotters. The first tying unit for tying individual small bales can be activated. Alternatively, the first and second tying units can be activated individually together for simultaneously tying several small bales to form a large bale, wherein the first and second tying units interact with the same knotters.

The invention relates to a method and a device for compressing squarebales for stalk material, in particular, for hay and straw, on largebaling presses by means of twine strings that engage across longitudinalsides and end faces of the large bales and are tied together, whereinthe compressed large bales can be formed by a number of adjacentlypositioned, individually compressed and tied small bales.

As is well known, the large bales that are produced on large balingpresses have a great weight so that they are difficult to manipulate andrequire complex machines for transport and storage. On the other hand,gathering of large bales can be performed with minimal time expenditure.In order to improve handling of compressed hay and straw bales, smallbales are known also that can be easily transported by hand or by smallauxiliary devices, such as wheelbarrows or the like, but require greatlabor expenditure for field removal and storage.

The invention has the object to provide measures in connection withlarge baling presses that enable the production of compressed largesquare bales as well as small bales.

According to the invention, this object is solved by the measures of thecharacterizing portion of claim 1. By means of the method steps,depending on the activation of the tying unit, large bales or smallbales can be produced and, in this way, an adaptation of the pressingand transporting process and storage as well as use can be provided inan advantageous way. In this connection, tying units with single ordouble knotting devices can be used. The user of the large baling pressis thus given the possibility of producing compressed large bales orsmall bales as well as any partial bales of both bale types from thestalk material that is provided for pressing.

In a device for performing the method, it is provided that the tyingunit that is embodied as a single knotting device has knotters that canbe switched on and off and have permanently contacting tying twines andthat the knotters provided for intermediate tying of small bales can beactivated separately from one another and can be made to interact with anumber of needles corresponding to the number of activated knotters thatare pivotable into engagement while the remaining needles remain in arest position.

Preferably, the knotters for intermediate and main tying of the balesare arranged on an outer shaft with inner toothing that receives aninner shaft with outer toothing meshing with the inner toothing, whereinthe outer and the inner shaft can be coupled to one another andseparated from one another by coupling members, for example, a starcoupling, a friction coupling, a magnet coupling, a wheel coupling orthe like, and wherein, by relative movement of the inner shaft and theouter shaft, the knotters for the intermediate tying action can beswitched on and off, wherein, for controlling the inner shaft, a lengthmeasuring wheel contacting the compressed bale positions by means of anelectromagnetic control device a pressure cylinder engaging the innershaft.

In one embodiment of the device, it is provided that the needles for theintermediate tying operation and the other needles required for the maintying operation are arranged on a first support and a second supportthat are arranged adjacent and axis-parallel to one another and arepivotable, for example, on pipes, profiled rods or the like, wherein bymeans of the second support the needles for the intermediate tying canbe advanced separately to the predetermined knotters and wherein the twosupports, when locked relative to one another hydraulically ormechanically, simultaneously advance the needles for intermediate tyingand main tying to the second and first knotters.

In a further embodiment of the invention, it is possible to arrange theneedles for intermediate tying of small bales and the needles for themain tying operation together on a common shaft adjacent to one anotherand to configure the needles for intermediate tying relative to theothers so as to be separately drivable so that they can be advanced tothe activated knotters for forming the small bales.

Moreover, it is also provided that the tying unit operating with doubleknotting devices has first and second knotters without permanentlycontacting tying twines and that the knotters have correlated therewitha common support for needles provided with twines. The first knotterswith correlated needles activated for cooperation by them forintermediate tying and the first and the second knotters for forming alarge bale can be activated for cooperating simultaneously with theneedles of the intermediate tying operation and the other needles.Accordingly, the double knotting devices operate without switching offthe knotters because this tying technique does not provide for aconstant suspension of twines in the knotters and, in this way, onlythose knotters will perform tying that have needles with twines suppliedthereto.

Finally, it is also proposed to supply the needles for intermediatetying of the small bales by means of a rotary movement of the needles ofthe second support to the knotters and, in order to enable anuninhibited pivoting movement of the needles of the second support, toprovide through openings, recesses, steps or the like in the firstsupport or, by providing a corresponding correlation of the twosupports, to guide the needles past one another.

Moreover, it is also conceivable to configure the needle supports so asto be pivotable and/or slidable together or separately individually forthe purpose of cooperation with the knotters.

The invention will be explained in the following with the aid ofembodiments in the Figures. It is shown in:

FIG. 1 a large bale press for performing the method, in a perspectiveview;

FIG. 2 needles arranged on supports for small bales and thecorresponding needles;

FIG. 3 a support shaft for knotters in a side view;

FIG. 4 a coupling for a support shaft according to FIG. 3, in section,

FIG. 5 a support pipe with needles in a plan view;

FIG. 6 a support pipe for a needle arrangement according to FIG. 5 in adifferent embodiment;

FIG. 7 a support pipe with a needle, in a perspective view;

FIG. 8 another support pipe with needles in a plan view;

FIG. 9 a measuring wheel, in a perspective view;

FIG. 10 a large bale with small bales, in a perspective view; and

FIG. 11 a support pipe with needles in a plan view.

In the Figures numeral 1 refers to a square large baling press andnumeral 2 refers to a pressing channel. Moreover, supports 3 and 4 areprovided with first and second needles 1′, 3′, 4′, 6′ and 1″, 5″. On asupport shaft 5 (FIG. 3) correlated with the needles six knotters1′″-6′″ are arranged also. The support shaft 5 engages with an innertoothing an outer toothing of the inner shaft 10. Both shafts 5 and 10are connectable to one another by a coupling 12, as illustrated in FIG.4.

The needles 1′, 3′, 4′, and 6′ are fixedly connected to a support 3having a prism cross-section. Finally, the support 9 (FIG. 8) for theneedles 1′, 2″, 3′, 4′, 5″, 6′ can be activated; it receives a couplingshaft 9′ with an inner toothing that activates by means of coupling 11the needles 2″ and 5″ either for pressing small bales or the needles 1′,3′, 4′, 6′, and 2″, 5″ all together for pressing large bales.

In the following an example for intermediate tying of small bales on apress with single knotting device is explained.

Example Intermediate Tying:

An example for intermediate tying is demonstrated with a press having asingle knotting device of 1.20 m bale width and 70 cm height. The balesare tied particularly with six twines.

Since for a single knotting device there must always be a twine withineach knotter and, in the case of six knotters 1′″-6′″, the four tyingknotters 1′″, 3″, 4′″, 6″ at rest must not be triggered for theintermediate binding action, these knotters must be mounted so as to beswitchable on and off (FIG. 3).

In Regard to Switching on and Off the Knotters:

This problem can be solved in the following way. An hollow shaft 5 withinner toothing is used for positioning the knotters 1′″-6′″. An innershaft 10 that is partially toothed on its exterior is guided in thehollow shaft 5 a. By moving and partial rotation of the inner shaft 10by means of a coupling 12, the desired knotters can be switched on andoff. The control of the inner shaft 10 is enabled by means of a lengthmeasuring wheel 15 on the bale, wherein the wheel at the desired pointin time correctly positions by means of an electromagnetic hydrauliccontrol device 12′ a cylinder mounted on the shaft 10 with innertoothing.

For clarifying this even more, a working example is described where onebale having a total length of 2 m is shown in, for example, 5 parts.

At the beginning of the pressing process, six threaded twines arepositioned in the single knotters 1′″-6′″. Material is then pushed intothe pressing channel 2 to the positioned twines. After approximately 40cm bale guiding, the first intermediate tying action by means of thesecond 2′″ and fifth 5′″ knotters is triggered. The same process is tobe repeated four times. In order to complete the bale, during the lastaction all six knotters must be triggered for forming a large bale.

For the intermediate tying action of the small bales, the needle swingis manufactured such that, as needed, all needles or only two can bemoved to the knotters.

For the intermediate tying action of the exemplary bale, the needles 2″and 5″ must be triggered. The needles 1′, 3′, 4′, and 6′, must remain inthe rest position. The problem is to be solved, for example, such thatthe needles 2″ and 5″ are mounted on a support 4 (FIG. 11) and thesupport 4 is provided with recesses 13 for the needles 1′, 3′, 4′, and6′. Accordingly, for an intermediate tying process the carrier 4 withtwo needles can be lifted with the needle swing. When a tying process isto be triggered with all needles in order to complete tying of the bale,the needles 1′, 3′, 4′, 6′ that are mounted on a second support 3 (FIG.5) with a swing must be locked in the rest position with one anotherhydraulically/mechanically, and all needles must be supplied in a singlesweep to the six knotters wherein, depending on the assignment of thesupports 3 and 4, the needles 1′, 3′, 4′, 6′ penetrate the cutouts 13 ofthe support 4 or are guided so as to pass one another. FIG. 6 showsanother embodiment of the support 3.

In the case of machines with double knotting devices, a switch-off ofthe knotters is not required because in this technique no twines aresuspended at all times in the knotters and, in this way, only thoseknotters can perform tying that are supplied with twine by the needles.

1.-9. (canceled)
 10. A method for compressing square large bales forstalk material on large baling presses by using twines that engageacross longitudinal sides and end faces of bales and are tied together,wherein compressed large bales can be formed by a number of adjacentlypositioned, individually compressed and tied small bales; the methodcomprising the steps of: providing a first tying unit and a second tyingunit at a pressing channel of a large baling press, wherein the firstand second tying units have knotters; alternatively activating the firsttying unit for tying individual small bales and activating the first andsecond tying units individually together for simultaneously tyingseveral small bales to form a large bale, wherein the first and secondtying units interact with the same knotters.
 11. The method according toclaim 10, wherein the first and second tying units are single knottingdevices or double knotting devices.
 12. A device for performing themethod according to claim 10, the device comprising: a first tying unitand a second tying unit, wherein the tying units are configured assingle knotting devices having first and second knotters that areswitchable on and off and are provided with twines that permanentlycontact bales to be formed; wherein the first and second tying unitshave first and second needles; wherein the first knotters serve forintermediate tying of small bales and are separately and independentlyactivatable and interact with the first needles pivotable intoengagement with the first knotters; wherein the second needles remain ina rest position while the first needles carry out intermediate tying ofthe small bales.
 13. A device according to claim 12, further comprising:an outer shaft having an inner toothing and an inner shaft having anouter toothing, wherein the inner shaft is arranged inside the outershaft and the outer toothing meshes with the inner toothing; a lengthmeasuring wheel contacting the bales to be formed; an electromagneticcontrol device connected to the length measuring wheel; a pressurecylinder engaging the inner shaft and acted on by the electromagneticcontrol device; wherein the first and the second knotters together servefor intermediate tying and main tying of the bales and are arranged onthe outer shaft; a coupling member arranged between the inner shaft andthe outer shaft and configured to couple the inner and outer shafts toone another or to separate the inner and outer shafts from one another;wherein a relative movement between the inner shaft and the outer shaftswitches the first knotters on and off for intermediate tying; wherein,for controlling the inner shaft, the length measuring wheel positionsthe pressure cylinder via the electromagnetic control device.
 14. Thedevice according to claim 13, wherein the coupling is a star coupling, afriction coupling, a magnet coupling, or a wheel coupling.
 15. Thedevice according to claim 12, wherein the tying units are doubleknotting devices, wherein the first and second knotters are separatelyactivatable and are without twines permanently contacting the bales tobe formed, wherein the first and second needles provided with twineshave a common support correlated with the first and second knotters,wherein the first knotters and the first needles are used for tyingsmall bales and wherein the first and the second knotters interactsimultaneously together with the first needles for intermediate tyingand the second needles for forming large bales.
 16. The device accordingto claim 12, further comprising a first support and a second support,wherein the first needles for intermediate tying are arranged on thefirst support and the second needles for a main tying action arearranged on the second support, wherein the first and second supportsare arranged adjacent and axis-parallel to one another and arepivotable, wherein the second support advances the second needlesseparately to the second knotters and the first and second supports,when locked hydraulically or mechanically with one another, supply thefirst and second needles simultaneously to the first and second knottersfor the intermediate and main tying actions.
 17. The device according toclaim 16, wherein the first and second supports are pipes or profiledrods.
 18. The device according to claim 16, wherein the first needles orthe second needles are moved by a rotary movement of the first andsecond supports, respectively, to the first and second knotters andwherein the first support or the second support has through openings,recesses or steps for the second needles or the first needles,respectively, for an unimpeded movement of the second or first needles.19. The device according to claim 12, further comprising a shaft,wherein the first and second needles are arranged together on the shaftadjacent to one another, wherein the first needles are drivableseparately and independently relative to the second needles forintermediate tying of the small bales or driven simultaneously andtogether with the second needles for tying the large bales.
 20. Thedevice according to claim 12, comprising first and second needlesupports for the first and second needles, respectively, wherein thefirst and second needle supports are pivotable by swings for interactionwith the first and second knotters together or separately individually.21. The device according to claim 12, comprising first and second needlesupports for the first and second needles, respectively, wherein thefirst and second needle supports are pivotable and moveable by swingsfor interaction with the first and second knotters together orseparately individually.
 22. The device according to claim 12,comprising first and second needle supports for the first and secondneedles, respectively, wherein the first and second needle supports aremoveable by swings for interaction with the first and second knotterstogether or separately individually.